Academy Announces U.S. Finalists for 2012 Student Academy Awards®

May 2, 2012 - It's official! The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released their list of finalists for the 2012 Student Academy Awards® and two Ringling College senior thesis projects made the list.

Films by graduating Computer Animation majors Eric Prah ("My Little Friend") and Matt Sullivan ("Reviving Redwood") were chosen as two of only nine student finalists nationwide in the Animation category. Their films will now advance to the final tier of the 39th Annual Student Academy Awards® competition.

Academy members will view the finalists films at special screenings and vote to select the winners. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with accompanying cash grants of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively, may be presented in each of four categories: Alternative, Animation, Documentary and Narrative. Winners will be brought to Los Angeles, along with the international student winners in the Foreign Student Film category, for a week of industry activities and social events that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at the Academys Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Congratulations to Eric and Matt and the entire Computer Animation faculty for this incredible honor!